Dining Review: Area Asian eateries offer tasty soup options

Ludwig Van Beethoven once said, “Only the pure of heart can make good soup.”

This is so true it’s become the de facto motto of my Soup Club. Yes, I belong to a Soup Club. It’s mainly an excuse to get together, but it’s also an homage to the what we consider one of the greatest foods in history. Soup can be simple or complex, it’s found in most cultures, it’s typically healthy, and everyone likes it. Next month I’m hosting so I’ve been getting recipe ideas by checking out local restaurants’ offerings. Turns out I love Asian soup.

Here are some favorites in my Foothills community.

Sundubu Jjigae at Cho Dang

This Korean tofu soup arrives at the table bubbling hot in a heated black crock. The spicy red broth holds impossibly tender chunks of silken tofu and thinly sliced vegetables. Meat or seafood of your choice may be added. Crack the raw egg provided into the steaming hot stew and immediately whisk it in with chopsticks. So satisfying. The sundubu at Cho Dang comes with an array of half a dozen delicious banchan (side dishes) like kimchi, warm zucchini and sesame bean sprouts for $8.99.

Cho Dang Tofu and BBQ, 2043 Verdugo Blvd., Montrose

Pho Tai at Pho Season

The first whiff of this fragrant soup conjures up bone marrow, which is no surprise since proper pho stock is made by gently boiling beef bones. The aromas that follow are a heady mix of spices like star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. It was hard to tell if the ginger and onion were roasted as I’ve experienced in the best pho — but Pho Season’s is pretty darn good. The rice noodles and thinly sliced beef are tasty. Add the accompanying chilled, marinated onion, the jalapenos, bean sprouts and cilantro, the Thai basil, lime, hoisin sauce and sambal oelek (Sriracha’s underappreciated little brother) and you’ve now broken into a rapturous sweat ($7.25).

Pho Season, 2222 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge

Tom Ka Gai at Min’s Kitchen

More of an appetizer soup than a main course, this is still one of my favorite brews. Similar to tom yum gai, this soup’s hot and sour broth has that unique blend of classic Thai ingredients like galanga, kaffir leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and chili. The tom kha gai, however, has the wonderful addition of coconut milk. Straw mushrooms and chunks of white chicken add substance. I would have liked a few more vegetables but the tangy, creamy broth never failed to satisfy ($9.95). After 38 years in business, the adorable Min and her Kitchen staff seem to know what they’re doing.

Min’s Kitchen, 1040 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge

Finally, mention must be made of three other outstanding soups in the area: the Ash-E Reshte at Olive Branch (La Crescenta), the Sopa Andaluz at Casa Cordoba (Montrose) and the rich Pozole at La Cabanita (Montrose). Soup’s on, everybody!

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LISA DUPUY welcomes comments and suggestions at LDupuy@aol.com.